Evaluation of a Landfill Leachate Bioremediation System Using Spirulina sp

Federico González-López, Leidy Rendón-Castrillón, Margarita Ramírez-Carmona and Carlos Ocampo-López ()
Additional contact information
Federico González-López: Centro de Estudios y de Investigación en Biotecnología (CIBIOT), Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Circular 1A No. 70-01, Bloque 11, Medellín 050031, Colombia
Leidy Rendón-Castrillón: Centro de Estudios y de Investigación en Biotecnología (CIBIOT), Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Circular 1A No. 70-01, Bloque 11, Medellín 050031, Colombia
Margarita Ramírez-Carmona: Centro de Estudios y de Investigación en Biotecnología (CIBIOT), Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Circular 1A No. 70-01, Bloque 11, Medellín 050031, Colombia
Carlos Ocampo-López: Centro de Estudios y de Investigación en Biotecnología (CIBIOT), Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Circular 1A No. 70-01, Bloque 11, Medellín 050031, Colombia

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 6, 1-20

Abstract: Currently, solid waste storage systems generate secondary pollutants such as leachates, derived from rainwater infiltration or produced during their storage, which affect water quality, human health, and the environment. This study evaluated a bioremediation system for leachates from the “Rancho Triste” landfill using Spirulina sp. as a microalgal strain. Its rapid adaptation to the leachate was identified through respirometry based on CO 2 measurement, allowing the modeling of microalgal adaptation using a Log-Normal Peak Shifted with Offset function. Tests conducted in a 0.5 L reactor determined an optimal treatment time of 10 days, achieving removals of 87.17% for iron, 28.96% for magnesium, and 90.74% for manganese. Subsequently, a 2 3 factorial design was implemented to optimize the reduction of chemical oxygen demand (COD), evaluating agitation, lighting, and nitrogen supplementation, achieving a COD removal efficiency exceeding 50% under optimal conditions. The fed-batch technique enabled an enrichment of microbiological populations, which, together with bio-stimulation, bioventilation, and photoperiods, demonstrated the scalability of the bioprocess and the significant reduction of metallic and recalcitrant contaminants present in the leachate. This approach proposes an ecological alternative with potential application in water treatment industries aiming for carbon neutrality and optimal transformation of high-effluent volumes.

Keywords: phycoremediation; landfill leachate; cyanobacteria; mixotrophic culture; metal sorption; microalgal bioprocesses; sustainable wastewater treatment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/6/2385/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/6/2385/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:6:p:2385-:d:1608372

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().